Aeroplane air-ship.



L. A. BEGHT. AEROPLANE AIR SHIP. APPLICATION FILED MAY 8. 1905.

Patented Mar. 9, 1909. 2 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

L. A. BECHT. AEROPLANE AIR SHIP. APPLIUATION FILED MAY s. 1905.

Patented Mar. 9,' 1909.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wyzeffea' LOUIS AUGUSTE BECHT, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

AEROPLANE Ara-sim.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Louis AUGUSTE BECHT', a citizen of France, residing at Paris, Department of the Seine, France, have invented a new and useful Aeroplane Air-Ship,l

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved aerolane air-ship of variable equilibrium, which is slightly heavier than the air and Which combines the features of a parachute with those of a kite. i.

My objects are to rovide a rigid frame carryingv small gas agaJ within separate compartments and an immovable car beneat so as to'minimize the danger of a collapse and also to prevent the car from interfering with the stability of the air-ship. I attain these 4ob'ects by the construction and mechanism i ustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side-elevation of the air-ship as seen when descending; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section of the same but disposed for ascending; Fig. 3, a plan and Fig. 4, an end-view thereof; Fig. 5,is a lan and Fig. 6, a cross-section of the car; igs. 7 and 8,

i show constructional details of the propellermechanism and steering-gear; Fi s. 9 and 10, show slightly modified gear to t at of the previous two figures. The principal figures- 1, 2, 3 and 4-'are somewhat diagrammatic.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views. I

The superstructure or vaeroplane-p arachute feature comprises a frame a, of semi-ellipsoidal form, although any oblon form hav-- ing a convex upper surface and lower plane surface may be employed. vThe interior of the frame is divided into compartments to contain gas-bags b (Fig. 2) of-suitable forms and ca acities to 'fit the respective com artments 1n the frame. Each bag b may ave i an'inlet and outlet nozzle for the gas; and these, as well as the bags, may be of a known kind and will not require speciicillustration. To make the frame tight and inclose the gasbags, the upper convex surface and the 50 lower edge is a pendent border c of suitable.

under iiat surface of the -frame a are covered with sail-cloth -o`r canvas. not require specific illustration. About the width, to facilitate -ingress of the air beneath the parachute. Above the engines the aeroplane is fitted with metal plates.

The car or bridge d is rigidly secured beneath the aeroplane by stays and posts con- Speccaton of Letters Patent. Application led May 8, 1905. rSerial o. 259,484.

` viz: two u right props This feature will.

Patented March 9, 1909.

nected with the main frame a so as to participate in every movement of the latter. Its

crm is that of a girder Whose upri hte are made sufficiently strong to support t e parts above when the air-ship is resting on the ground. i

Generally three Propellers are employed,

ers e' e and a horizontal prope erf, t atter' serving to impart .horizontal motion and to steer.4 Thesepropellers may be driven by one and the same'Y motor g and in such case the mainshaft h eX'- tends along the entire length of the car While two upri ht shafts 'i t are driven'from,

it by means of evel wheels or friction cones and they are fitted With universal joints. However, the said shafts t' ma also be driven by independent motors, and t eir up er ends project through the main frame. he rear propeller f, forming also steering means, is

controlled by a special movement whichpermits of the horizontal displacement of the propeller throu h an angle of greater amplitude than an or inary univers joint. Thus, the propeller is always in a proper Workin'` position and does not give rise to torsiona stresses as would be the case when a Cardan or universal joint is employed. The supporting. bracket y', of the propeller di, is mounted on a fixed central pivot k an 1s caused to turn around such pivot through the intervention of a tiller'or handle-bar Z1 to which is attached a rope, chain or like controlling means. The propeller shaft n-may b e fitte With a bevel pinion in gear with an intermediary bevel Wheel mounted loose on the central pivot 7c and said bevel Wheel is driven by a pinion fast on the main shaft h. Thus, the supporting bracket of the propeller is' capable of moving in any horizontal direction without disengaging from the gear wheels or the said central pivot and wit out giving rise to torsional stresses.

If the pinion o be a friction Wheel it is preferred to provide twocentral bevel `wheels. loose on t e pivot k and pressed by slprings against the said pinion as shown .at ig. Further, the mam shaft carries a beveled friction inion o1 in engagement with the said central evel Wheels under the pressure of their s rings andl so imparts motion to thev the ru( der. However, if desired,` several propellers may be provided in suitableposrtions, to impart forward movement, while others are used for the ascensional movement, and each propeller may be tted with separate starting gear or be driven by a sepa- `rate motor so as to operate either together or independently of each other.

The ballast is carried in a tankp and may be either of a liquid or a solid nature providing itw can be made to run out easily. The tank is suspended from a cable q above the carin such amanner as to be capable of travelin from one end to the other thereof.

` T e dis lacement of the ballast together with the c ange of position of the conductor, eect a changeJ in the center of gravity, and in this manner it will be eas to cause the airship to assume a more or ess inclined position for thepurpose of utilizing a head wind tocarry the same. Under these conditions the ascensional pro ellers canw be left idle, and the fully motive force can be transmitted to the pro ellerf.

The tan p is fitted with acock to control the discharge so as to compensate for the condensation or loss of gas, and to render the air-ship heavier than the air and vary its equilibrium, While, when necessary, it can also be rendered lighter.

Extending up through the aeroplane between the gas-bags is a flue-like passage controlled `at its upper'end by a register r. This register, when opened, orpartly opened, er-v mits air to ass up through the assage W `en the device descends, thus enablingthe rapidity of the descent of the apparatus to be controlled. Obviously the interior walls of the passage may be, if desired, provided with some form of steps to enable a personto climb u to the register 1^. In case of the airship fal ing into the water itwill float by reason of the buoyancy of the superstructure which contains the gas-bags, and the conductor or aeronaut may climp up through the airassage and register 1' to t -e top.

e plane portion at the underside of the superstructure forms an aeroplane above the car. By shifting the ballast tank in accordance with the wind, perfect buo ancy in the air is insured and al the pro e ers may be stopped when traveling with t .e air current, while the speed can also be regulated by the de ree of inclination 'ven to the aeroplane.

y reason of the a1r shi being but little heavier than the air, it be easy .for the pro ellers to raise the ship, while the large sur ace of the latter obviates a dangerous fall in case of a sudden stoppage of the ascensional propellers or the motor. Moreover,

` the weight is completely distributed over Veso the parachute.' vAs an example and for the sake Y'of further information, itis here supposedto have a frame capable of holding 300 cubic meters of gas and carrying 30 kilg. ballast so that each ropeller has to lift 15 ,k1lg.v In this 'case t e complete apparatus under the most perverse circumstances of a fall. If the gas bags be intact, the surface of 100 square meters of the Iparachute will have only to su port a weig t of about 30 kilg. on the column of lair or about 300 grams persquare meter. v

The operations are as follows: First the vertical propellers e e are started to lift the air-shi a few meters. Then the ballast is shifte so as to change the center of gravity thereby obtaining any desired inclination, and by starting the rear propeller f, forward motion is imparted while at'the same time rising further. If the ascensional travel be too fast, a slower up-motion may be insured 'by regulating the inclination of the ship.

For traveling with the air current two methods may be'employed. The first way consists in presenting a proper inclination yof the aeroplane tothe wind which then carries the air-ship along without any assistance from the ascensional propellers.' The second Way consists in working the ascensional propellers and use the force of the wind as the driving means, and when greater speed is required, assist the latter by operating the propeller For traveling against the wind an inclination is given to the air-ship to ren,- der it buoyant. The ascensionalpropellers are then stopped andthe full motive power is utilized to drive the rear propeller. The aeroplane should in this case be inclined after the manner of a flat kite whereby the string of the latter-is represented by the rear pro eller which forces it againt the Wind and wit a proper inclination keeps it at the same elevation. By adopting a greater inclination, the air-ship. travels forward andupward. The rear propeller f serves also for steering` by being moved in a lateral plane and this without impairing its onward drive and Without producmg any tangible resistance which resistance is an objection in o`rdinary rudders. In this manner the motive power is entirelyutilized for the onward travelJ while the op osin air current provides for the buoyancy o the si power required for driving the ascensional propellers'. The car orbridge rigidly secured to the main frame, serves as a keel and the machinery and other parts serve as ships ballast to insure its stability. .For descending,

,thus saving the motive the ascensional propellers are sto ped and,

if necessary, the `shutters Aof the' el'are opened. Upon touching the round, small w eels siallow the air-shi` to e run along, but where the condition o the ground is'unfavorable, it requires only the ejection of a little ballast to cause the air 4ship to rise sufpro eller,

fermez ficiently to permit of its bein' taken along by means of a guide rope li re a balloon. Again, if the aeroplane becomes lighter than the air it will be easy to revert to t e normal conditions by re-arranging the ballast.

The various operations can be carried out without any necessity of liberating the gas.

In order to increase the ascensional force of the air-ship I may su erpose several frames, with gas bags, all we connected together and I may also attach air-balloons thereto, if desired.

As the main frame and the car are firmly connected together and forms a rigid structure, it will not be affected by any deformation of deation of the gas-bags by the condensation of the gas. `This is a distinguishing feature and a great advantage over ordinary balloons with suspended cars in which accidents often occur by reason of the defiation of the balloon and the swaying against it of the suspended car. Y

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an air-shi an aeroplane-superstructure having a rame and rovided with gas-bags, a bridge connecte rigidly with 'said superstructure, a driving and steering ascensional propellers having sha ts which extend up through the superstructure, and a motor and intermediate mechanism for loperating said ropellers, said superstructure havin its at under surface in a plane incline to that of the bridge. v

2. In an air-ship, an aeroplane-su erstructure provided with gas-bags and aving a stron ,light frame, a bridge ixed rigidly to said rame, and the under surface o'f the superstructure and said bridge being in planes inclined to-each other, propellers', for driving and steering the ship, a motor and intermediate mechanism for operatingy the propellers, and a shiftable weight for varying the equilibrium of the ship.

3. In an air-ship, an aeroplane-superstructure containing .gas-bags and having extending up through it a flue-like passage provided with a register 1 at its upper end,

a bridge connected rigidly with the frame of said superstructure, andl mechanism for propelling and navigating said ship.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 25th day of April, 1905, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

f LOUIS AUGUSTE BECHT Witnesses: v

JULEs ARMENGAUD, Jeune, HANsoN C. COXE. l 

